1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of electronic commerce (e-commerce) as can be conducted over the Internet, and in particular, to a query interface for a retailer's point of sale (POS) system to facilitate on-line shopping.
2. Description of Related Art
Developing the Internet as a consumer-direct marketing channel is receiving much focus by dealers of retail goods. However, current practice has identified several contributing factors acting as barriers to wide acceptance of this new marketing channel. First, the typical retail inventory may vary from a few items to tens of thousands of items. Such magnitudes make the first time shopping experience overwhelming. Shopping on-line the first time from an inventory of thousands of items has required a very serious time commitment from the consumer. If the demand is too great, an on-line retailer may lose the customer, let alone lure the customer back on a regular basis for repeat or replenishment shopping activity. Second, consumers may not want to shop exclusively on-line. On occasion, they are likely to return to the conventional store, as opposed to the virtual store embodied in an e-commerce on-line site, to view new items firsthand. Finally, consumers opting to utilize an on-line shopping service are doing so to save time. If consumers cannot save time by shopping on-line they cannot be expected to shop on-line.
Of all the on-line shopping services available today, for example Peapod (accessible at www.peapod.com), PCFoods (accessible at pcfoods.com) and Wal-Mart (accessible at www.wal-mart.com), none takes advantage of the data already being gathered by POS systems on consumer shopping habits and preferences. Any on-line retail shopping service operating over the Internet or offered through any public or private on-line consumer service would benefit from this invention. None of these services can create a personalized, first-time on-line shopping experience.
Only one service provider, Streamline (accessible at www.getstreamlined.com), is attempting to create personalized first-time shopping lists. This is accomplished by going into the shopper's home and literally scanning everything in the shopper's pantry. This method has two major disadvantages. First, if the service provider is performing the scanning function, a shopper has to be willing to let a stranger into their home, and into their pantry and closets and cabinets, to perform the function, an unlikely scenario in today's security-conscious society. Second, if the consumer is provided with the scanning apparatus so they can scan items themselves, the time required to scan the entire household would be too long and hence be unattractive for the shopper, who is interested in on-line shopping to save time.